Bellingham Washington Property Inspections (King of the House): Sink traps

It is a common belief, among do it yourself plumbers, that as long as the pipes connect together and do not leak, then all is well with the system. That is not always the case -- especially with drains. For example, take the S-trap under the sink. As a home inspector I see these traps over and over again, instead of the proper P-trap. To understand the problem, first, one needs to realize that the purpose of the trap is to keep water at the bottom of the trap, which then blocks or stops sewer gas in the system from entering the home. While the S-trap looks much like the proper P-trap, it is by design a siphoning trap and can end up dry -- hence sewer gas has an entry point into the home. While the differences in design are subtle, you will see that the S-trap truly is in the form of an S.  The other trap that is less than ideal is the flex drain.  While these are sold at box stores, the ridges collect debris and they are easily plugged. Plus, they are often on small bath sinks where hair is prone to collecting in drains anyway. These are really sold, as a convenience that turns into an inconvenience, for people who do not know how to cut and fit drain pipes properly. A professional plumber would not install such a device. When these are found, or the S-trap, other aspects of the plumbing should be looked at very carefully and upgrades made as is required.

• King of the House
• Bellingham MLS

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